Kurnool: In a major technological leap, India has become the fourth country in the world to demonstrate the capability to shoot down fixed-wing drones and swarm drones using a high-powered laser weapon system. The milestone places India alongside the United States, China, and Russia in possessing this advanced defence technology.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation’s (DRDO) Centre for High Energy Systems & Sciences (CHESS), based in Hyderabad, successfully conducted a field trial of the 30-kilowatt Vehicle-mounted Laser Directed Energy Weapon system — DEW MK-II(A) — in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, on Sunday.
During the test, the system effectively neutralized fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and swarm drones by causing structural damage and disabling their surveillance sensors. DRDO confirmed that the demonstration marks India’s entry into the exclusive league of global powers with high-energy laser weapon capabilities.
Dr. Samir V. Kamat, Secretary of the Department of Defence R&D and Chairman of DRDO, hailed the trial as a significant beginning. “This is just the start of the journey,” he said, expressing confidence in the collaborative efforts of DRDO labs, industry partners, and academia.
Dr. Kamat also revealed that DRDO is concurrently working on other cutting-edge systems, including high-energy microwaves and electromagnetic pulse technologies, aiming to develop futuristic “Star Wars”-like defence capabilities.
